Improvement in grain and grass harvesters



E. "B. FORBUSH.

Harvester Rake.

Patented July 20,1852.

N. PETERS. Plmm-Lithogmphyr. wnshm mn. D. c.

NITED STATES PATENT Erica.

ELIAKIM B. FORBUSH, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN GRAIN AND GRASS HARVESTERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 9,834, dated July 20, 1852.

To all whom it may concern.-

-Be it known that I, ELIAKIM B. FORBUSH, ofthe city ofiBufl'alo, county of Erie, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Grain and Grass Harvesting Machines; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of the same, reference being bad to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification.

The nature of my invention consists in the following particulars, to wit: first, the construction of new and improved guard-fingers; second, the construction of a new and improved clamp for holding the finger bar; third, the construction of a new and improved mold-board with an up-and-down motion, to work forward of the finger-bar to prevent the mown grass from again coming in contact with the cutting-teeth; fourth, the construction of a new and improved rake-off forgrain.

Thisimprovement consists in makinga rightangled stanchion with a pivotal motion on the frame-work of the machine and supporting upon the upright half of this stanchion a crooked lever to which is attached a rake.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my said inventions,Iwill proceed to describe the construction and operation of each.

First. I make my guard-fingers (of which A in Figure IV is a top view, and B a side view) in three ways, to wit: first, by casting from hard or malleable iron; second, by forging from wrought-iron; third, by cutting the upper half from plate-steel and forging the lower half and then braze together at the pointed end. Guardfinger made in either way will answer the purpose, and either plan of construction may be adopted, as circumstances may require. By adopting this form of guard-finger I am enabled to obtain an inside bar or middle finger for the purpose of acting as an additional guard for the cutting-tooth to out against within its natural sweep from center to center of the guard-finger. These guard-fingers are arranged together and fastened on the fingerbar, as seen at c c in Fig. II. This middle finger serves to separate, out, and remove any stray straws or other substance which may escape being out against the outside brace-bar, and which may happen to be drawn in under guard-finger branching off into two triangular brace-bars, and the under h alf not correspond ing thereto, the brace-bars have no opposite bearings. Consequently the cutting-tooth cannot wedge in. The cutting is principally done against the brace-bars before the cutting-tooth has come to the dead-point in its motion, and if any straw, grass, or other substance passes the brace-bars without being out there, (which frequently happens,) it will be out against the middle. finger, and by the action of the middle finger and the open space the straw, grass, or other substance is removed from the cutting. tooth, and thereby wedging, choking, and clogging effectually prevented.

Second. I construct my clamp for holding the finger-bar in two or more distinct pieces of cast iron or other material, a side view of which when combined and bolted together is seen in Fig. 5. G represents the runner or foundation part of the clamp, and H H two braces or supports extending forward and backward, and secured to the frame. The backward brace by means of two screwbolts passing through it and the runner part of the clamp, holds the finger-bar R firmly in therunner, the finger-bar being fitted into a sort of open mortise in the runner, and the pressure of this brace upon the top of the fingerbar by means of the two screw-bolts, holds the finger-bar securely and firmly without any bolt passing through the finger-bar. I am thus enabled to connect the finger-bar to the frame of the machine and to use a finger-bar of less width, which. is very desirable in cutting grass. The forward brace is so shaped as to form an angular surface for the cuttingtooth to out against, as seen at I in Fig. II. The upper part of these braces presents a perpendicular outside surface for the purpose of connecting with the machine, and are made to move in two upright cast-iron frames, as seen at K K in Figs. V, III, and I. There is a long mortise or opening in each of these frames, as seen at V in Fig. I, through which opening passes a large headed screw-bolt, and also through the upper part of the clamp. By this arrangement the clamp, and with it the finger-bar, may be connected and fastened to the frame and raised or lowered on a perpendicular line, so that the same finger-bar may it into the open space. The upper half of the and on an angle sufficient to move the mown I grass which may be forward of the guard-fingers to the inside'ot' the clamp. All obstructions from the mown grass is thereby avoided. This device is only designed to be used when cutting grass.

Fourth. My improved rake ofl' consists in a right-angled stanchion,made of wood or metal, with a pivotal motion on the frame-work of the machine, (see S, Fig. 1H,) and supporting upon its upright half a crooked lever, made of wood ormetal, to which lever is attached a rake, the difierent positions of which are seen' at O O O in Figs. I, 'II, and III. This lever has also a pivotal motion upon the stanchion, as seen at P in Figs. I and III. By the combination of these two pivotal motions of the stanchion and the lever a direct line motion may be given to the rake where needed, as also a circular motion. This arrangement is operated by a man upon the machine near the driving-wheel, who grasps the lever with one hand and the stanchion with the other hand, and who can easily throw the rake into any position required and sweep the grain in bundles from the platform.

I claim as'my invention and desire to secure by LettersPatent- 1. An open-spaced guard-finger with an in side surface or middle finger for the cuttingtooth to out against, substantially as herein described.

2. The construction of a clamp of two parts, which will hold the finger-bar where desired without bolts passing through the finger-bar, arranged as herein set. forth.

.3. The construction of a mold-board with two upright posts, which posts pass through proper apertures in the frame of the machine, and are free to move up or down according to the varying surface of the ground and sustain the mold-board forward of the cutter-bar on an angle sufficient to move the mown grass w hich may be forward of the finger-bar to the inside of the clamp, substantially as herein described.

4. The arrangement and combination of a right-angled stanchion, made of wood or metal,

with a pivotal motion on the frame-work of the machine, and supporting upon its upright part a crooked lever, made of wood or metal, with a pivotal motion on the said stanchion, to which lever is attached a rake. By the combination and. operation of these two pivotal motions of the stanchion and lever, as set forth, a direct line motion may be given to the rake where needed, as also a circular motion, so that a person may remove the grain from the platform in bundles and sit or stand on the machine near the driving-wheel, as herein described.

ELIAKIM B. FORBUSH.

Witnesses A. S. MERRILL, WM. A. KIRBY. 

